Catching up with this year's Clippers
The Newburyport High baseball team squeezed past rival Triton, 8-7, on Thursday, May 16 to halt a three-game losing streak and improve to 8-7. The Clippers must win two of their final five games to earn a tournament berth.
It won't be easy. Newburyport closed the league portion of its schedule with games at home against Hamilton-Wenham on Saturday, May 18 and at Pentucket on Tuesday, May 21. The Clippers finish up with three games in three days -- Friday, May 24 at Northeastern Conference Large power Beverly (13-4 and coached by NHS '70 graduate and former Clipper captain Dave Wilbur), and Saturday and Sunday, May 25-26 at the Spofford Tournament in Georgetown.
Prior to beating Triton by a single run for the second time this season, the Clippers had been shut out in consecutive games by Lynnfield and Georgetown, the top two teams in the Cape Ann League's Division Two; and dropped a 3-1 decision to undefeated Cape Ann League Division One leader North Reading.
Before the three-game losing streak, the Clippers had won seven of nine, a run started by a 9-5 non-league win against Saugus, which leaves the Northeastern Conference to join the CAL in all sports this fall; and capped by a 4-1 win against archrival Amesbury.
Second-year coach Steve Malenfant said the switch to BBCOR bats this season has had a noticeable impact on the game. The BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) bats are designed to reduce the rate of speed the ball leaves the bat and to make composite and aluminum bats perform more like wooden bats.
"There are many fewer extra-base hits and many more 'small ball' plays," Malenfant said.
Through 11 games, the Clippers statistical leaders were: Connor MacRae, with a 3-1 record as a pitcher and .391 batting average; Connor Wile with a .348 batting average and nine RBI; and Bret Fiascone with 11 hits and a .327 batting average. Colton Fontaine and Ian Michaels shared the team lead with six stolen bases apiece.
"We have certainly held our own overall and our pitching has been outstanding. Right now it looks as though Connor MacRae is our best pitcher but Colby Morris is not far behind and neither is Evan Habib. MacRae is our best hitter right now as well," Malenfant said.
